Closed-open sign

ABSTRACT

A sign is provided with a sliding element so that either of two different messages can be exposed such as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;closed&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;open&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;. The sign is of inexpensive plastic construction and lends itself to mounting on either inside or outside surfaces.

United States Patent 11 1 Giesecke July 31, 1973 l CLOSED-OPEN SIGN [76]Inventor: Albert S. Giesecke, 400 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif.

[22] Filed: June 23, 1971 211 App]. No.: 155,777

[52] U.S. CI 40/65, 40/l6.4, 40/18, 40/64 [51] Int. Cl. G09f 11/30 [58]Field of Search 40/65, 64, 16.4, 40/18, 17

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1959 Lonnes et al. 40/653,359,664 l2/l967 Bell 40/l6.4

2,664,648 1/1954 Young 40/64 X 2,642,832 6/1953 Brodtmann 40/65 XPrimary EXaminer-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerL. R. OrcmlandAttorney-Carl Hoppe, Robert G. Slick et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A sign is provided with a sliding element so that eitherof two different messages can be exposed such as closed or open. Thesign is of inexpensive plastic construction and lends itself to mountingon either inside or outside surfaces.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIED Jul 3. 748. 767

// A INVENTOR.

LEE/8T 5. G/ESECKE CLOSED-OPEN SIGN SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to a sign of simple plastic construction which isparticularly adaptable for use as a closed-open sign. The main face ofthe sign has two side-by-side surfaces of substantially equal size witha sliding element over them so that either side may be exposed. Thesliding element is firmly gripped by guide rails and the railsthemselves can serve as mounting elements. Preferably the mounting railsare provided with a pressure sensitive tape. The sign can be mounted onthe inside of a transparent surface, for example behind a glass door, orcan be mounted on the outside of any surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a signembodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective exploded view showing the method ofassembling the sign.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawingsby reference characters, the sign, generally designated 5, has a frontface, generally designated 7, which is divided approximately intoside-by-side halves and may have two messsages thereon. For instance, inthe embodiment illustrated, the lefthand side has the message closeddesignated 9 while the righthand side, which is obscured in FIG. 1, hasthe message open thereon. A slider, generally designated 11, is providedwhich can be slid over the front fact 7 to expose either of themessages. The slider itself may have a sign thereon as at 13.

The face element 7 is suitably made ofa stiff athough somewhat flexibleplastic and has a bottom rail and a top rail 18 attached thereto. Themember 7 is attached to the bottom rail 15 throughout its length but atthe top, the element 7 is cut away at its center to form a slot 19 sothat it is attached tothe top rail 18 only at its ends. The center ofthe top rail may be beveled as at 20 for ease in inserting the slide.The bottom rail has upturned lips 21 and 22 while the top rail 18 has adownturnedlip 23.

The sliding element 15 consists of a folded over piece of plastic havinga front surface 25 and a. rear surface 27 with a center portionconnecting them 29. The rear surface 27 can be considerably smaller thanthe front surface since its only function is to act as a guide. However,the front surface should be half the total width of the sign and thecenter portion 29 is only about half the width of the sheet 25. Also,the distance from the edge of the slot 19 to the edge of the sign isabout the same, i.e., A the width of the whole sign. Thus, the edges ofthe slot 19 act as stops so that the slider 11 can traverse the entirewidth of the sign yet will be retained when it comes to the edge.

The method of assembling the sign is best seen in FIG. 3 and this isdone by slightly distortng the plastic. Thus, the sheet 7 is pushed tothe rear and the slider 11 then slips over the distorted center portionof the sheet 7. When sheet 7 is now released, the parts spring back intoplace. The slider is now being retained over the center portion of thesheet 7 with both its top and bottom edges engaged by the lips 21, 22and 23.

Preferably the rails 15 and 18 are provided with double sided pressuresensitive tapes as at 31. Since the top and bottom rails extend both infront of and behind the sliding element, the sign can be readilyattached to either a front surface or a back surface. Thus, the signmight be mounted behind a transparent widow or door as at 33 or it mightbe mounted on a wall or the like 35 which might or might not betransparent.

Although the sign has been designated as an openedclosed sign, it isobvious that the sign might be used in any situation where one wished todisplay alternately two different messages.

I claim:

1. An advertising sign or the like comprising in combination:

a. a central sign face of generally rectangular configuration dividedinto two side-by-side equal parts by an imaginary vertical line at thecenter thereof and having indicia on both of said parts,

a bottom rail attached along the length of said face,

0. a top rail extending along the top of said face,

. a centrally located slot in said central face at the 'top thereof,said slot extending about half of the length of said central facewhereby said face is attached to said top rail at the edges, leaving aspace between the top rail and the face at the center thereof,

e. a slider element having. a front surface and a rear surface, saidslider element having a front surface about half as long as saidsignface whereby it will obscure half of said face at any one time, saidfront and rear surfaces forming part of a single sheet bent at a centralportion into a U-shaped config uration,

f. said central portion of the U linking the front and rear surfaceshaving a width about $4; the width of said sign face,

. said slider element being passed through said slot whereby itstraddles the central sign face with its front surface over the frontsurface of the central sign face and its rear surface extendingdownwardly over the rear sign face whereby said slider can be slid fromside-to-side, exposing half of the front of said sign face in eitherposition,

h. said top and bottom rails extending on each side of the central signface for a sufficient distance to permit said sign to be attached to asurface by either the front surfaces or the rear surfaces of said rails,providing clearance for said slider to move back and forth, and

i. said bottom rail having upturned lips at the front and back thereofwith the bottom portions of front and rear surfaces of said slider beingrespectively held in sliding relationship by said lips.

1. An advertising sign or the like comprising in combination: a. acentral sign face of generally rectangular configuration divided intotwo side-by-side equal parts by an imaginary vertical line at the centerthereof and having indicia on both of said parts, b. a bottom railattached along the length of said face, c. a top rail extending alongthe top of said face, d. a centrally located slot in said central faceat the top thereof, said slot extending about half of the length of saidcentral face whereby said face is attached to said top rail at theedges, leaving a space between the top rail and the face at the centerthereof, e. a slider element having a front surface and a rear surface,said slider element having a front surface about half as long as saidsign face whereby it will obscure half of said face at any one time,said front and rear surfaces forming part of a single sheet bent at acentral portion into a ''''U''''-shaped configuration, f. said centralportion of the ''''U'''' linking the front and rear surfaces having awidth about 1/4 the width of said sign face, g. said slider elementbeing passed through said slot whereby it straddles the central signface with its front surface over the front surface of the central signface and its rear surface extending downwardly over the rear sign facewhereby said slider can be slid from side-to-side, exposing half of thefront of said sign face in either position, h. said top and bottom railsextending on each side of the central sign face for a sufficientdistance to permit said sign to be attached to a surface by either thefront surfaces or the rear surfaces of said rails, providing clearancefor said slider to move back and forth, and i. said bottom rail havingupturned lips at the front and back thereof with the bottom portions offront and rear surfaces of said slider being respectively held insliding relationship by said lips.